Bihar: Hundreds of malnourished children suffering from AFP

Hundreds of children in Bihar's east Champaran district bordering Nepal, have been found suffering from Acute Flaccid Paralysis due to malnutrition, officials said on Thursday.

Officials said that 442 children in the district were found suffering from AFP.

"AFP in children was detected when the United Nations Children's Fund sent stool samples of 542 children of the district to Luckhnow for test," the official said.

Dr Anil Kumar Singh,a district official, said that AFP in children is caused by malnutrition. District civil surgeon Dr Kameshwar Mandal said that during the polio immunisation campaign, some children were reportedly found to be suffering from paralysis.

Earlier this year, the State government launched a special programme addressing malnutrition in children. The programme was rolled out at every health sub-centre at each village across the state, with focus on removing malnutrition among children, young girls and pregnant women.

Latest government data has said that Bihar accounts for 58 per cent malnutrition among children which is above the national average of 46 per cent.

AFP is a clinical manifestation characterised by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause.